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Pastoral Exhortation of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines for the 2014 Year of the Laity
Our dear brothers and sisters in Christ,
You already know surely that this coming 2021 we shall be celebrating the 500th year of the arrival of Christianity in the Philippines. For in 1521, Ferdinand Magellan arrived in the Philippines, and in Cebu, he, a lay person, catechized King Humabon of Cebu, his wife and their people. The king and his queen were subsequently baptized together with their followers. It was on this occasion that the queen, newly given the baptismal name of Juana was gifted by Magellan with a statue of the Santo Niño, which was later found in 1565 by soldiers of Miguel Lopez de Legazpi, and is now preserved in the Basilica of the Santo Niño in Cebu.
In preparation for the celebration of this providential event of the first arrival of Christianity in our shores, the Church in the Philippines has planned nine years of intensive evangelization, with a theme for every year. For the year 2013, we celebrated the Year of Faith provided by then Pope Benedict XVI. The Year 2014 will be the YEAR OF THE LAITY.
Our Situation: The Gospel of Joy
Pope Francis says "The joy of living frequently fades, lack of respect for others and violence are on the rise, and inequality is increasingly evident. It is a struggle to live and, often, to live with precious little dignity". (Evangelii Gaudium, 52)
If we were given an opportunity to describe the situation of the Catholic laity in the Philippines, it would be the paradox of poverty and abundance. The devastation that typhoon Yolanda brought upon our brothers and sisters in Samar and Leyte has created surges of pain and anguish all over our land and even beyond our shores. The typhoon left us dazed and lost groping in the dark for answers and explanation. Poor as we are, this pauper among the nations of the earth hides two jewels in her rags. One of them is our music. Our other treasure is our faith. As long as there remains in these islands one mother to sing Nena's lullaby, one priest to stand at the altar and offer God to God, this nation may be conquered, trampled upon, enslaved but it cannot perish. Like the sun that dies every evening, it will rise again from the dead–Horacio de la Costa, SJ.
The first and most important truth about you Filipino Catholic laity is not poverty but the greatness of your dignity. This dignity derives from God's unmerited choice of you to belong to God's holy people. God called you in Christ to be united to his Son. When you were baptized, the Holy Spirit united you with our Lord Jesus the Son of God, and thus you became true sons and daughters of God, partakers of the divine nature. There is no greater dignity on earth or in heaven than that of being adopted children of God, and being made truly his children, and thus co-heirs to eternal life with Jesus Christ. This dignity flows from the love of God, and made the author of 1 John exclaim, "Behold, what manner of love God has bestowed upon us, that we should be called children of God, and that is what we are. Beloved we are already the children of God but it has not yet appeared what we shall be, because when we see him, we shall become as he is." This is what also made St. Leo the Great exclaim, "Recognize your dignity, O Christian . . ." That grace came to you with your baptism which is a true rebirth to eternal life.
The joy of the gospel fills the hearts and lives of all who encounter Jesus. Those who accept his offer of salvation are set free from sin, sorrow, inner emptiness and loneliness. With Christ joy is constantly born anew. (Evangelii Gaudium, 1)
When you were united to Christ by the Spirit at baptism, you were also incorporated into the body of Christ, which is the Church, and you became members of the people of God. Your membership in the Church is a full membership. You belong to the Church as much as any pope, bishop, priest, or religious does. You are not second class members of the people of God. When you live the life of grace, you are full citizens of God's kingdom on earth. In fact, the Church teaches that "the greatest in the kingdom of God are not the ministers but the saints".
When you were joined to Christ by the Spirit at baptism, you also became sharers of the threefold mission of Christ teacher, priest and servant. You were baptized not only to share in Christ's dignity as Son of God, but also to share in his mission for the salvation of the world.
You share in Christ's dignity and mission with all others who are likewise united to him by the Holy Spirit. In uniting you to him, Christ also united you to all those who are united with him. With all those who are united to Christ by faith and baptism, you form one body of Christ, whose head is no less than Christ himself. Thus the whole body manifests and prolongs Christ's life and mission in the world.
You, our dear lay faithful, have as your particular mission the sanctification and transformation of the world from within. In fact, many of you are called by the Lord to do service in the Church and for the Church. Such is the case of lay liturgical ministers and catechists, for example, who perform an indispensable service in the Church community and its institutions. Such also is the case of lay people who are asked to participate in the administration of Church property and works.
Yet, your own specific task, and the special responsibility given to you by the Lord is to find your own sanctification in the world, and to sanctify the world and transform it so that this world becomes more and more God's world, God's kingdom, where his will is done as sit is in heaven. You are called by Jesus to be the salt of the earth and the light of the world. The Lord Jesus told his disciples to preach the Gospel to every creature, and to make all nations his disciples. This command to the whole Church falls especially on you, who are in the world.
As Pope Francis has been repeatedly telling Catholics, you must go into the world of the family, of business, of economics, of politics, of education, of the mass media and the social media, to every human endeavour where the future of humanity and the world are at stake and to make a difference, the difference that the Gospel and the grace of Christ bring to human affairs.
Our Situation: The Challenge of the Gospel
When we look at our Philippine world with the eyes of faith, there are several areas of special concern which you, our lay faithful should direct your attention and action to.
Pope Francis calls our attention to "the great danger in today's world, pervaded as it is by consumerism, is the desolation and anguish born of a complacent yet covetous heart, the feverish pursuit of frivolous pleasures, and a blunted conscience. Whenever our interior life becomes caught up in its own interests and concerns, there is no longer room for others, no place for the poor. God's voice is no longer heard, the quiet joy of his love is no longer felt, and the desire to do good fades. This is a very real danger for believers too. Many fall prey to it, and end up resentful, angry and listless. That is no way to live a dignified and fulfilled life; it is not God's will for us, nor is it the life in the Spirit which has its source in the heart of the risen Christ. (Evangelii Gaudium, 2).
Poverty is a social and spiritual problem in our country. A great percentage of our people live below the poverty line. They do not even have the necessities for decent human living. It is estimated that twelve million of our people have gone to foreign countries in their search for adequate income to support their families' needs. While this has brought many material advantages, it has also resulted in great harm to family life. And many of our overseas Filipino workers work in conditions of servitude and are often submitted to humiliations. A still a vast number of our people are without work, and many are forced to live in slum areas and in miserable situations. A vast number of our children are unable to go to school, and those who do go get sub-standard education in poorly equipped schools. Many have been driven by poverty to cater to the lusts of human predators.
Though there have been significant economic gains, the same percentage of our people have remained mired in poverty over the past several years. The wealth of our country has remained woefully mal distributed. This endemic poverty is gravely contrary to the will of God. You, my dear lay faithful are in the best position to creatively work our solutions which will satisfy the demands of justice and charity. What are you doing to create wealth, to preserve wealth, and to share wealth? Do the more prosperous among you feel the sufferings of our poor brothers and sisters, and do you think of ways and means to help alleviate their poverty, and help them towards prosperity?
The second is the problem of politics. We say "problem of politics" because, as we have repeatedly pointed out, politics as it is practiced in our country is perhaps the single biggest obstacle to our integral development as a nation. Politics as presently practiced, and as it has been practised for a long time, is riddled with graft and corruption.
Our elections are notoriously noted for their violence and vote-buying and for the lack of proper discernment in the choice of candidates. Recent developments have highlighted the corruption connected with the pork barrel which those in power are loath to give up despite their blatant misuse for political patronage. It is now clear that our people are poor because our leaders have kept them poor by their greed for money and power. What are you doing to help get worthy people to positions of authority and power? What are you doing to get rid of the politics of patronage, violence and uneducated choices? What are you doing, our dear lay faithful to rid our country of graft and corruption? Do you perhaps participate in corrupt practices by selling your votes, by buying votes, by bribery and acceptance of kickbacks?
Business and Commerce
Corruption in politics is paralleled and strengthened by corruption in business. We know that our tax collecting agencies are notorious for their extortionary practices. Corrupt tax collectors of course imply business people who cooperate in their corrupt activities either to survive in business or to reap bigger profits. It is also known that too many of our tax payers do not pay the correct taxes, while the taxes that are collected are often misspent in over-priced or ghost projects. Corruption in business leads to the further impoverishment of the poor and the widening of the gap between the rich and the poor.
Greed and Selfishness
While poverty and corruption are real and great evils; we must search for their causes. Our culture has been contaminated by the twofold greed for money and power that has characterized much of the modern world. In our consumerist and materialistic society, people are valued according to what they have.
Pope Francis says "Human beings are themselves considered consumer goods to be used and then discarded. We have created a "throw away" culture which is now spreading. It is no longer simply about exploitation and oppression, but something new. Exclusion ultimately has to do with what it means to be a part of the society in which we live; those excluded are no longer society's underside or its fringes or its disenfranchised – they are no longer even a part of it. The excluded are not the "exploited" but the outcast, the "leftovers".(Evangelii Gaudium, 53)
The greed for power is the twin brother of greed for money. Those who have money easily get into power, and when they are in power, they can protect and increase their acquisitions. In our country, winning a government position is often the passport to affluence. Politics in the Philippines is a business proposition.
Truth Suffers
The first casualty of such greed for money and power is the truth. To get money and power, to keep money and power, to increase their money and power, people have recourse to lies and cheating. The truth is easily disregarded and sacrificed. This is true also in the mass media where what is sought after and broadcast is not so much what is true but what is news; the competition among the networks and the printed media is not so much for accuracy in reporting but for ratings which attract more money and build up greater power.
Common Good is Ignored
The second casualty is the common good. The sense and responsibility for the common good is sadly wanting in our country. The culture of greed for money and power caters to the selfish interests of individuals, families and economic and political groups. Our families which are characterized by an admirable closeness are also characterized by a closedness that is unmindful of the common good. This being closed to the common good is especially evident in our politics where political dynasties are nurtured and people vote with little consideration for the impact on the country of their votes. But even our mass media are often tools of vested interests rather than instruments for the promotion of the common good. In business, in politics, in the entertainment business, in media, profit almost always has priority over service despite protestations to the contrary.
Pope Francis warns us "Almost without being aware of it, we end up being incapable of feeling compassion at the outcry of the poor, weeping for other people's pain, and feeling a need to help them, as though all this were someone else's responsibility and not our own. The culture of prosperity deadens us; we are thrilled if the market offers us something new to purchase. In the meantime all those lives stunted for lack of opportunity seem a mere spectacle; they fail to move us. (Evangelii Gaudium, 54).
Challenge and Mission
The renewal of our country thus demands of us all, and especially of you, our lay faithful, a return to truthfulness and the fostering of the sense of the common good. A society that is not founded on truth cannot stand, because a society not founded on truth is either founded on lies or deceit which can provide no stable basis for human relationships and a stable social order. Thus, we must obey the biblical injunction "to do the truth in love" (Eph. 4:15 ). We must seek the truth, speak the truth, do the truth. This means that we must seek what is right, speak what is right, and do what is right; and to do so "in love", that is, in solidarity with and service of others.
Know the Faith
My dear lay faithful, the greatest challenge for you is to know the content of our faith, and to bear witness to your faith by a life of faith. We wrote to you a few months ago praising your simple but deep faith. Yet we had to point out to you two main deficiencies of the faith of our people: first, that the faith of many is uninstructed and, more importantly that this faith has been separated from life.
So many of our people do not even know the fundamentals of our faith! They thus become very vulnerable to the seductions of other religious groups who find them easy targets of their recruitment efforts. Many of our Catholics cannot even answer attacks on basic Catholic doctrines like the divinity of Christ, the Eucharist, the veneration of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the veneration of images.
Live the Faith
But more harmful even is the separation of faith from life. It is certainly a shameful proof of our failure to evangelize our country that our churches are filled with people, our religious festivities are fervent, our Catholic schools are many, but our country is mired in poverty and in corruption. Many, perhaps the majority of the corrupt people in politics and in business are graduates of our own Catholic schools and are "practicing" Catholics. The majority of those who cheat in elections and those who sell their votes are also baptized Catholics. This is also true of the bribe takers in public offices and the looters of our public coffers. As we noted in our pastoral letter, the criteria for decisions taken by many in politics do not derive from faith but from other sources inimical to the Christian life. The poison of the greed for power and wealth has already pervaded the political and business systems.
We echo the challenge of Pope Francis "We want to challenge "the baptized whose lives do not reflect the demands of Baptism", who lack a meaningful relationship to the Church and no longer experience the consolation born of faith. The Church, in her maternal concern, tries to help them experience a conversion which will restore the joy of faith to their hearts and inspire a commitment to the Gospel. (Evangelii Gaudium, 15)
Thus we urge you to promote a continuing education towards maturity of faith among our people, starting with our Christian families. But even more importantly, we ask you to make your faith bear on your day to day decisions and activities. It is only an integral faith, a faith that believes, a faith that worships, and a faith that works in love (Gal. 5: 6), that will serve as God's way "to make all things new" in our beloved country.
Communities of Faith
Since the corruption in business and in politics that we must fight against is systemic, we your pastors, urge you to unite in groups which through prayer, discernment and concerted action will renew the social and political fabric of our country. Individual goodness is not sufficient anymore. The good individual will only be swallowed up by the evil system. While individual witness is important, it is in unity that good Christian people will get their strength and attain victory.
To sustain and strengthen you in your efforts, we urge you to read the BIBLE, God's written word. Read it not only to study it but pray with it. When read prayerfully, the Bible will nourish your life. It will be a lamp to guide you in your journey. It will help you resist temptations; it will help you to know and follow Jesus, our Lord.
Second, we urge you to have recourse to the SACRAMENTS. Value your baptism and prepare well for the baptism of your children. Let parents take seriously the responsibility they undertook at baptism to raise up their children as good Christians.
Christian marriage should be valued not only as a beautiful and solemn ceremony but as a welcoming of Christ into the life of the couple and their future family. Hence, it must be adequately prepared for by pre-marital instructions. Christian married couples should see their marriage as a public commissioning by Christ to serve and protect life and married love itself.
We ask you to have recourse especially to the Sacrament of Reconciliation and the Eucharist. The Eucharist, participated in actively in faith, is the source of Christian life and strength. It is the bread of life and of martyrs. The Sacrament of Reconciliation, on the other hand, will help us heal our moral wounds and give us the grace to fight sin in ourselves and in society.
A Church which "goes forth" is a Church whose doors are open. Going out to others in order to reach the fringes of humanity does not mean rushing out aimlessly into the world. Often it is better simply to slow down, to put aside our eagerness in order to see and listen to others, to stop rushing from one thing to another and to remain with someone who has faltered along the way. At times we have to be like the father of the prodigal son, who always keeps his door open so that when the son returns, he can readily pass through it. (EG, 45)
And finally, we ask you to stand up for Jesus not only in religious activities but in your private and public life. Speak up for Jesus and his Church in public discussions. Do not be afraid to be identified as Catholic Christians. You have been called to be saints; you are sent forth as heroes. Take courage. Choose to be brave!
May the example of our two lay Filipino saints Lorenzo Ruiz and Pedro Calungsod be your inspiration for the coming year!
May the Jesus and his Mother be with you and with us all, and make us, a "pueblo amante de Maria" also truly the land of Jesus in Asia.
For the Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines,
Archbishop of Lingayen-Dagupan
CBCP President
December 1, 2013, First Sunday of Advent


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"Sitting on our Assets: The Cotton Annex"
March 22, 2012
Good morning Chairman Denham, Ranking Member Norton, and members of this Subcommittee. My name is Robert Peck, and I am the Commissioner of the U.S. General Services Administration's (GSA) Public Buildings Service (PBS). Thank you for the opportunity to join you here today at the Cotton Annex, a revenue-generating property in Southwest Washington, DC that GSA is currently assessing for productive reuse.
GSA is a leader in government asset management of buildings and leases and we effectively utilize our owned and leased building portfolio. We are building on our successes with aggressive efforts to deliver new and innovative workplace strategies that will improve utilization even more.
GSA: the Federal Government's Asset Manager –
Over the last decade, GSA has successfully implemented a major portfolio restructuring aimed at "right-sizing" its real estate portfolio. Since GSA gained the authority to retain sales proceeds in 2005, GSA's disposal actions have returned almost $244 million in receipts to PBS's Federal Buildings Fund (FBF).[1] In fiscal years 2010 and 2011 alone, we disposed of a total of 88 vacant or underutilized properties, totaling more than 4 million square feet, from the inventory. These disposals allowed GSA to avoid $73 million in anticipated repair needs and operation and maintenance costs.
GSA continues to make progress on the targets put in place following the June 2010, Presidential Memorandum, "Disposing of Unneeded Federal Real Estate." Federal agencies are on target to exceed the $3 billion goal of cost savings by the end of FY 2012. To date, GSA has saved more than $300 million towards our goal of $450 million. As part of this effort, GSA's Office of Real Property Utilization and Disposal is assisting other agencies as well in meeting their aggressive targets through disposals. Moving forward, GSA will continue to aggressively identify and target underutilized assets for disposal.
One example of a recent disposition is the sale of a surplus federal building in Brooklyn, NY. GSA negotiated a sale of the property with the New York City Economic Development Corporation (NYEDC). NYEDC and its development partner purchased the property for $10 million with a goal of ensuring the site is redeveloped for the primary purpose of retaining and attracting industrial jobs. They are currently renovating the building for use as a state of the art industrial center. The once-vacant federal building will soon be a hub of activity that is projected to create 400 short term construction jobs and 1,300 permanent jobs. This project is expected to be a catalyst for the industrial redevelopment of Sunset Park and complement the other industrial complexes in the area.
GSA is in the process of disposing of the West Heating Plant, a large industrial building on two acres of land in Washington DC. Most recently, the plant was used as a backup heating source for several government buildings, but we determined recently it was no longer needed and started the disposal process. It was declared excess to GSA's needs in October 2011 and declared surplus to the government's needs in December 2011. Once this property conveys out of Federal ownership, it will eliminate millions of dollars in maintenance costs to the Federal government over the next decade. The divestiture of the plant will also make the property available for productive use by the local community.
Another property we have recently begun disposing of is a GSA owned warehouse located in Gaithersburg, MD that currently houses the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC). Although the CPSC is not scheduled to move out until this summer, GSA has already declared the property excess and begun the Federal screening process. This 9.5 acre site has eight structures and will save the Government approximately $2 to $3 million in avoided maintenance and repair costs.
Utilizing Our Buildings –
GSA has led Federal efforts to utilize government-owned space effectively. At the end of FY11, GSA's national vacancy rate for all owned and leased assets was 3.4 percent, significantly less than the national private sector rate of 17.4 percent. In DC, our vacancy rate is even lower at 1.96 percent.
Since our restructuring initiative began, we have delivered a number of critical consolidation projects and completed more than 140 major modernization projects. These facilities provide more efficient workspace for tenant agencies.
For example, GSA is modernizing our own headquarters here in Washington DC at 1800 F Street NW. Phase I is fully funded through the Recovery Act, while Phase II will be funded in the outyears. Upon completion of Phase I of the project, GSA will be able to move in our Federal Acquisition Service, currently housed in leases in Northern Virginia, increasing the utilization of our building dramatically and saving taxpayers millions a year in lease costs. GSA anticipates that other savings could also accrue from aspects like reduced operating costs and eliminating shuttle service. The development of the DHS Headquarters campus at St. Elizabeths, also in Washington, D.C., is another critical consolidation and redevelopment project GSA is leading for the Federal government. This project will be a 4.5 million square foot campus that will consolidate DHS workers from more than 20 locations in the D.C. metropolitan area into one modern and efficient campus thereby saving taxpayers hundreds of millions of dollars compared to the cost of leasing
While budget cuts delayed our efforts to fully realize the benefits of this consolidated campus, GSA will be able to complete the move-in of the first component of the DHS, the US Coast Guard, in FY13. This move will allow GSA to transition federal employees from one million square feet of leased space to federally owned space.
Pursuing Innovative Solutions to Optimize Space and Reduce Costs –
Additionally, GSA is leading the way to use space more effectively by breaking out of traditional office space configurations and providing tools and solutions that support a truly mobile workforce. During our headquarters building renovation, we have started using GSA's "swing space" as a laboratory for new technologies and solutions for alternative workplace arrangements, such as hoteling office space. During our renovation, we are prototyping a mobile workplace. In August of last year, a whole division of 87 individuals began occupying space previously occupied by only 43. Aside from three administrative assistants, no one has a personally assigned workstation. The space comprises different types of workspaces, designed to increase teamwork and collaboration, improve productivity, save energy, and improve the utilization of real estate.
We have also been studying best practices from other organizations throughout the United States and the world to learn how they effectively use space. Over the long-term, such practices hold great promise for enabling us to carry out government functions with much less office space per Federal employee.
GSA is partnering with Federal agencies to develop workspace solutions that create a flexible and mobile work environment. GSA is beginning to help agencies manage space utilization by offering guidance to reduce the amount of space required over time and increase Federal employee productivity. We are reinventing ourselves by changing from an organization that processes orders for space to creating agency partnerships that develop innovative options that enable agencies to use space more efficiently at a lower cost through the use of technology, sustainability, flexible office utilization, and a more mobile work environment.
In cooperation with the Office of Personnel Management, GSA is providing Federal managers with the tools necessary to build a mobile workforce. GSA is committed to leading the government and private industry in telework initiatives and is striving for 60 percent of all GSA employees to telework at least two days per pay period. GSA recently established a new telework policy that makes nearly every GSA employee eligible for telework, and includes additional space saving measures such as hoteling and desk sharing. These practices have the potential to create substantial savings both in real estate and operating costs. GSA is proactively working with its customers to provide guidance on their own telework policies, contributing to costs savings goals resulting from the Presidential Memorandum.
GSA has also started a high priority initiative known as the Client Portfolio Planning (CPP) program to assist our customers in improving asset utilization, in accordance with the President's June 2010 memorandum and Executive Order 13327, "Federal Real Property Asset Management." The overarching goal of the CPP program is to identify, analyze and report current, ongoing and potential portfolio optimization opportunities for our customers. These opportunities will reduce the federal government's economic and environmental footprints, while fully supporting agency missions. GSA established three plans in FY 2011 and in conjunction with tenant agencies, is beginning to implement them this fiscal year.
Reducing Agency's Leasing Needs –
GSA, in part through these initiatives, is reducing the Federal government's need for leased space and improving utilization.
Mr. Chairman, I am glad the committee moved some of our pending lease prospectuses earlier this month at a full committee markup. However, ten leases from GSA's FY11 leasing program still have not been acted on. All of these lease prospectuses have been pending for at minimum a full year and, in many cases, much longer. As we noted at the hearing at the Old Post Office annex, GSA has proactively gone back and worked with these Federal agencies to reduce lease requirements, with millions of dollars in savings.
While we are proud of the potential savings if the committee will approve these actions, we are also anxious about the exposure of taxpayers to the consequences of inaction. Most of these leases represent replacements for already existing space that, if left idle, will fall into holdover, costing taxpayers far more, adding unnecessary administrative complexity and burden to business transactions, and negatively affecting private sector landlords with whom we must negotiate.
I am hopeful we can work with your Committee to move these remaining prospectuses forward as soon as possible and realize these savings.
Legislative Authorities for Disposal, Reinvestment, and Redevelopment –
GSA has successfully used our out-leasing authorities to improve the use of our properties. Section 111 of the National Historic Preservation Act allows us to out-lease historic Federal properties, in whole or in part, that are not needed for agency purposes to non-Federal tenants. Section 412 in the FY 2005 Consolidated Appropriations Act,[2] allows GSA to retain net proceeds from dispositions of its real and related personal property through sale, lease, exchange, or otherwise, including leaseback arrangements.
Congress also has on occasion granted GSA special authority to adopt innovative, flexible arrangements for working with the private sector. For instance, GSA received authority to develop the Southeast Federal Center (SEFC) site in Washington, DC, through the Southeast Federal Center Public-Private Development Act of 2000. [3] By leveraging the private sector's creativity, experience, and resources, GSA achieved its goal of transforming the SEFC site into an asset where office workers, residents and visitors can live and work. GSA helped transform this waterfront property into a unique mixture of office and other commercial space, residential homes, and public amenities, while retaining proceeds of more than $43 million.
GSA used its authority under Section 111 to lease the historic Tariff Building in Washington, DC, for use as a first-class hotel and restaurant, eliminating operating and maintenance costs while ensuring long-term stewardship and public access to this important historic building. The building, which served as the first headquarters of the Post Office Department, sat vacant for 15 years following the departure of the Tariff Commission in 1987, while the surrounding Penn Quarter neighborhood was largely dormant. GSA worked with private sector developers to transform the 161-year old building and help revitalize the Penn Quarter neighborhood, leasing the property to a private hotel company that reopened the Tariff Building in 2002 as the Hotel Monaco. The lease allowed for restoration of ornamental spaces, replacement of all building systems, and modification to bring the building up to current code requirements.
And of course, most recently, GSA selected the Trump Organization to begin redeveloping the Old Post Office, with direction and authority provided by Congress in the Old Post Office Redevelopment Act of 2008. We are now negotiating a detailed agreement for the building's redevelopment and, if negotiations proceed as anticipated, redevelopment will commence in 2014 with occupancy in 2016. This is a significant step in putting this notable asset to its highest and best use, preserving its historic integrity, providing continued public access to the clock tower in accordance with existing agreements with the National Park Service, providing a positive financial return to the Federal government, and contributing to the vitality of Pennsylvania Avenue, the Federal Triangle, and the District of Columbia.
While we are successfully managing our real estate and making use of our existing authorities, there are challenges inherent to the Federal government's ability to manage its real estate holdings, which is why the President proposed a bill last year that would usher in a new approach to Federal real estate. Building upon the successful model established by the Defense Base Realignment and Closure Commission, the President's proposal would create an independent Board of experts to identify opportunities to consolidate, reduce, and realign the Federal civilian real estate footprint as well as expedite the disposal of properties.
This proposal would utilize bundled recommendations, a fast-track Congressional procedure, streamlined disposal and consolidation authorities, and a revolving fund replenished by proceeds to provide logistical and financial support to agencies in their disposal of high-value properties. It would serve as a comprehensive solution to key obstacles such as red tape and competing stakeholder interests that hinder the Federal Government's progress on improving real estate management decisions. GSA supports the Administration's goals and those of this Committee and other members of Congress to dispose of unneeded Federal real property and streamline the current disposal process through a civilian property realignment initiative, and meet our obligation to taxpayers to spend every dollar as effectively as possible.
The Cotton Annex -
Today, the committee has chosen to host a hearing at the Cotton Annex. The Cotton Annex was constructed in 1937. The building formerly housed the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), who used the building for office and warehouse space. While the building was always in GSA's inventory, USDA was responsible for all operations, maintenance, and repairs during their occupancy.
In 2007, USDA chose to vacate the building, and maintenance and repair responsibilities returned to GSA late that year. In October of 2007, GSA executed an occupancy agreement with the Federal Protective Service to allow the FPS to utilize land on the Cotton Annex complex for their screening facility. FPS utilizes the land to inspect trucks with deliveries for the Ronald Reagan Building International Trade Center.
Importantly, the Cotton Annex generates a positive net income. GSA minimizes operational costs while aiming to ensure no long-term deterioration occurs to the property. In FY11, operating costs associated with the Cotton Annex complex were $279,000, which were fully supported by the revenue generated through FPS rent payments in accordance with the agreement signed by the two agencies.
When the property returned to GSA, we initiated a Retention & Disposal Study and an Asset Repositioning Study (ARS) to determine the best course of action for the asset. The R&D study, completed in June of 2008, assessed a variety of possible options for redevelopment or disposal of the site. The findings indicated that the Cotton Annex parcel would present development opportunities for Federal or non-Federal construction. The ARS also found that the parcel would present strong development opportunities, but that retaining the site for Federal construction presented the highest return to the Government. GSA made a decision to hold the property for potential Federal redevelopment as part of the traditional capital program.
To gather more information on the possibilities of non-Federal construction, GSA issued a Request for Information in December of 2008 that asked the private sector to respond to potential redevelopment of one or more of an assemblage of parcels in Southwest Washington, DC, which included the Cotton Annex. GSA's hope was to gather creative development ideas for full utilization of these parcels in an effort to assist our planning purposes. Based on the responses received at that time, GSA decided in July of 2009 not to report the parcels as excess. At that time, future Federal construction still presented the best course of action for the Cotton Annex, given the existing Federal uses of the parcels, the strong demand for Federal office space, and GSA's goal of prioritizing Federally-owned space over leased space.
During this time, GSA also began evaluating the Cotton Annex as part of potential redevelopment scenarios for the renovation/replacement of our Heating Operations and Transmission District (HOTD) as well. The HOTD consists of GSA's Central Heating and Refrigeration Plant (CHRP) and the associated transmission and distribution system, which serve approximately 93 predominantly government buildings and other customers in downtown DC. The CHRP is located proximate to the Cotton Annex complex and may be part of the HOTD solution currently under development.
The current HOTD system presents a variety of challenges. We need to improve the reliability of HOTD while still maintaining existing capacity. Previous system updates are outdated and inefficient, and a major modernization of the CHRP is long overdue, with increasing risks of system failure, among a variety of other ancillary challenges.
This month GSA, with the support of the Department of Energy's Federal Energy Management Program, issued a Notice of Opportunity inviting firms under DOE's Energy Savings Performance Contract Indefinite Delivery/Indefinite Quantity vehicle (ESPC) to submit an expression of interest for a potential task order award to update and improve the HOTD system. The goals of the opportunity are to: reduce the Federal government's costs of operating the HOTD system; increase the long-term reliability of the system; reduce energy and other costs; improve the quality of heating and cooling; ensure failsafe redundancy of operations; and enhance environmental outcomes of the system's use. GSA currently plans on funding all such work through the energy savings generated by the ESPC task order, with no additional construction appropriation required.
Responses to the Notice of Opportunity were due on March 16, 2012, and we intend to move forward over the next several months to identify a partner to work with on this endeavor. Once the partner is known and we have collaborated on the optimal solution, GSA will be in a better position to know whether the Cotton Annex will be required for modernization of the HOTD system under the ESPC arrangement.
The Cotton Annex represents one of the few remaining developable parcels in DC in GSA's inventory. Given prior studies showing that Federal construction presents the highest and best use of the property, GSA's desire to locate agencies in government-owned space, the potential uses this property may have, and the fact that the property has generated a net positive return, GSA has continued to hold on to this property.
As soon as we better understand the path forward for improvements to HOTD, we will update our plans for the Cotton Annex.
Proposed Legislation –
Simultaneous to GSA analyzing the Cotton Annex complex, Congress introduced legislative proposals to utilize portions of the parcel. Throughout the past several years, legislation has been proposed that would divide the parcel in question and provide it, with payment of fair market value compensation to the government, to entities for the creation of civic works. That began with efforts to establish a National Health Museum, which contemplated putting the museum on the 12th street side of the parcel, where the current building resides.
More recently, there have been a variety of efforts introduced to establish a National Women's History Museum. These efforts have looked to the portion of the parcel north of C Street SW, and would not affect the building we are in today.
GSA has not objected to many of the legislative proposals, as the proposals required compensation of fair market value and protected the public's interest in these properties. Recent proposals in the House, however, have unfortunately revised this legislation, subjecting the proceeds to future specific appropriations as well as including unrelated projects.
We welcome efforts to more fully utilize property wherever they come from, so long as the public interest is protected.
Conclusion –
GSA is a leader in asset management, aggressively moving unneeded properties, effectively utilizing space, and pursuing new strategies that meet our obligation to taxpayers to house government's functions as efficiently and economically as possible. We are also taking advantage of our position in the Federal government to help drive better decision-making across partner agencies that will result in a sustainable and efficient government. We are hopeful this committee will join us in these efforts.
While the Cotton Annex may not currently be meeting its full potential, it is a revenue-generating property in GSA's inventory that may present important Governmental uses in the near term. Additionally, Congress has offered additional suggestions for ways the parcel could be utilized.
I welcome the opportunity to be here in the building today to discuss the deliberate way in which GSA has evaluated this property and I welcome your questions.
[1] This figure includes revenue generated through use of all GSA disposal authorities.

subset: commoncrawl


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Sunday, August 18, 2013
Tomato Love
I get a bit emotional about tomatoes. First because I spend a lot of time and thought on them: I start them from seeds in the late days of winter, tend the little plants with care, give a boatload of older, re-potted plants away to friends since there are almost always way more seedlings than I can handle, harden them off and then plant them in the spring. It is hard to see the seedlings that are left...unloved and unplanted...so I usually plant more than I should.
It doesn't stop there. Daily watering allows me to follow the growth of each plant, the formation of tiny tomatoes (often after a long, frustrating period when I get lots of blossoms and no fruit setting up) and the growth of those tomatoes to see what kind they might become. That last was especially true this year because when the plants were re-potted into larger peat pots I was deranged due to morphine residual from the hospitalization with a kidney stone, so I didn't really keep track of the varieties very well. It was actually kinda fun to see what I ended up with.
Then there is the looooooong wait until the tomatoes actually ripen. This year the cherry tomatoes came first and were a delight, but that first plate of sliced tomatoes, lightly seasoned with pepper, olive oil, balsamic vinegar sprinkles and a little garlic salt or sea salt is the ultimate pleasure. Until I have the first of the season BLT.
Now we are to the point where there are enough large tomatoes (and way too many cherry tomatoes) that I can share them. I also begin making different recipes that showcase the tomato.
Yesterday I threw together a seasonal veggie stew you might like. Chunks of juicy ripe Mortgage Lifter tomatoes added their summery flavor and color, but it also had sautéed onions and garlic, lots of fresh basil for fragrance, flavor and bite, slices of zucchini because I love zucchini, plus some yellow wax beans for color and texture and just a bit of beany flavor. Of course there was some pepper added, but no salt this time. Instead I added a splash of balsamic vinegar. All that was missing was eggplant, but I don't actually like eggplant, so I was fine with that.
This mixture went perfectly with a couple of small rectangles of this cheese and polenta grill that I posted about HERE. I suspect that it would also work well over almost any grain, as a filling for rolled up tortillas, maybe with some cheese, or even over pasta. For pasta you might want to cut up the veggies smaller when you start.
Do you have a favorite tomato recipe?
Tomato, Basil and Beans Together
1/2 medium onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 1/2 cups fresh tomato chunks
1 cup sliced zucchini
1 cup fresh beans (I used yellow wax beans, but green string beans are great, too)
2-3 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
salt and pepper to taste
In a large pot, sautee' the onions and garlic in the oil until tender and translucent, about 5 minutes.
Reduce the heat to medium and add the tomato chunks, zucchini, beans, basil, and salt and pepper.
Stir to combine and heat until the zucchini is tender, about 8 minutes. Taste for seasoning and serve.
4 comments :
Your tomatoes look fantastic! And the yellow ones are reminding me of a yellow salad that my sister makes with yellow zucchini, yellow tomatoes and yellow peppers. It's beautiful and delicious....
I'll have to tell her about making it into a cooked salad like your Tomato, Basil and Beans Together stew and to add some yellow beans to it.
As for favourite tomato recipes, my personal favourite is a tomato, dillweed (or basil if the swallowtail caterpillars have eaten all the garden dill) a trace of mayonnaise and some cracked black pepper open-faced sandwich.
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This article is more than 1 year old
From iPhone to iOS – Apple nabs (another) Cisco handle
Jobs i am
Steve Jobs has borrowed another iName from Cisco. But this time, he got permission.
Today, at Apple's Worldwide Developer Conference in San Francisco, Jobs announced that the Cupertino cult had renamed the iPhone OS. From here on out, it will be known as, yes, iOS. The mobile operating system, you see, also runs on the iPod touch and the iPad, and as the cult indoctrinates new members, Jobs doesn't want to confuse them.
The iOS name is already taken by Cisco — it has a trademark on the acronym IOS, short for its Internetwork Operating System — but Apple doesn't like trademarks interfering with its mission to put an "i" in front of whatever it feels like. In 2007, Cisco sued Apple over the iPhone name, which the networking kit king has previously trademarked for use with IP telephones, and in the wake of the iPad's announcement, Fujitsu pointed out that it own the rights to this name, which continues to offend women across the globe – not to mention men who sympathize with women.
Apple later settled with Cisco over the iPhone name, and it eventually reached an agreement with Fujisu over iPad. But with iOS, Apple has actually secured approval before rolling out the new moniker. "Cisco has agreed to license the iOS trademark to Apple for use as the name of Apple's operating system for iPhone, iPod touch and iPad," reads a statement from Cisco. "The license is for use of the trademark only and not for any technology."
Apple has also struck a deal with a 10-year old Silicon Valley company to slap the name FaceTime on the iPhone video conferencing service. In this case, instant messaging outfit Facetime has given up its name entirely, transferring its trademark to Apple. "Our agreement with Apple to transfer the FaceTime trademark to them comes as we are rebranding our company to better reflect our capabilities," Facetime said in a statement of its own. "We will be announcing a new name in the coming."
The exception that proves the rule? Before its debut, Apple TV was codenamed iTV. One might suggest that Steve Jobs is no match for British broadcasters. ®


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Admission to Grad School
Admission to Graduate School
It is useful to know the factors that graduate departments consider in making admission and financial aid decisions. The principal factors are:
- the quality of the undergraduate preparation,
- faculty evaluations in letters of recommendation,
- performance on the Graduate Record Examination, and
- experience in undergraduate research and projects.
Of course, a distinguished undergraduate record in a department known to maintain high standards and to prepare students well for graduate degree work is of the utmost value in being admitted to a graduate school and in winning financial support. Greatest weight usually is given to the quality of course work in physics and mathematics; however, evidence that you are literate and can express yourself well is also important. Letters of recommendation from people well acquainted with your work may be as important as your scholastic record. This is particularly so if you have an unimpressive transcript or GPA but you proved to be qualified for graduate work during your undergraduate career. Especially valuable are specific examples cited in letters of recommendation from professors or supervisors describing your experience in and aptitude for research work, e.g., on an undergraduate research problem, senior or honors thesis, special project, or summer employment.
Graduate Record Examination (GRE) scores are required for admission to many graduate schools and recommended for many others. The GRE General Test is the minimum such requirement, independent of the field of study. Approximately half of the graduate physics departments require test scores on the GRE Subject Test for Physics. Making a good showing on the GRE Subject Test for Physics is often a prerequisite for consideration at the most selective physics departments. A high score on the Subject Test is also essential for winning a graduate research fellowship from the National Science Foundation (NSF), particularly in physics. Doing well on the Subject Test may strengthen an application to graduate departments other than physics, but it is not required. In general, undergraduate physics majors will not have sufficient preparation for the other GRE Subject Tests unless they have taken extensive course work in the subjects of that exam. (Such Subject Tests were discontinued for engineering, geology, economics, and music in 2001.) For foreign students, an English-language test is often required, particularly for teaching assistantships. Each graduate school will furnish details on its requirements and recommendations regarding the GRE exams.
All of the standardized exams are now administered electronically, and there have been parallel changes to the applications and reporting process. Students should become familiar with the GRE website and the deadlines, applications procedures, forwarding of scores, and practice materials available.
A Word About Deadlines
Since the deadline for receipt of test scores by many graduate schools often falls in February, it is usually necessary to take the GRE during the previous fall term. The deadlines for national fellowships, such as the NSF Graduate Research Fellowship, require similar advance planning.
Many students find it less stressful and more productive to take the General Test in the summer or early fall, and the Subject Tests in December. Some undergraduate physics departments offer practice sessions or review courses to help students prepare for the Subject Test for Physics. Application forms, sample test questions, and time and location of examinations can often be obtained from your school's registrar or placement office, or directly from GRE-ETS, P.O. Box 6000, Princeton, NJ 08541-6000. Students planning on taking any of the GRE tests should make up a checklist of deadlines for applications early in the summer of the senior year.


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The Courage of Bishop Daniel Jenky: Catholics by Conviction!
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One of the silverlinings in the ominous cloud threatening the freedom of the Church in America is the extraordinary way the hostility of the new Caesar has mobilized the faithful. Perhaps even more heartening is the way that this growing and open hostility has elicited such courageous leadership from so many of our shepherds. Most recently that kind of courage was demonstrated by Bishop Daniel Jenky of Peoria, Illinois.
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Catholic Online (https://www.catholic.org)
4/23/2012 (1 decade ago)
Published in U.S.
Keywords: Bishop Daniel Jenky, Diocese of Peoria, Anti-Catholic, Anti-Christian, religious persecution, courage, courageous Bishops, Caesar, Church State, religious liberty, religious freedom, Deacon Keith Fournier
P>PEORIA, IL (Catholic Online) - On Thursday, January 19,2012, Pope Benedict XVI addressed the Bishops of Region IV in the United States (Baltimore, Washington and the archdiocese for the Military Services) gathered for their ad limina visit. He warned them of a "radical secularism which finds increasing expression in the political and cultural spheres". He further warned them that the "seriousness of these threats needs to be clearly appreciated at every level of ecclesial life. Of particular concern are certain attempts being made to limit that most cherished of American freedoms, the freedom of religion."
One of the silverlinings in the ominous cloud threatening the freedom of the Church in America is the extraordinary way the hostility of the new Caesar has mobilized the faithful. Perhaps even more heartening is the way that this growing and open hostility has elicited such courageous leadership from so many of our shepherds. Most recently that kind of courage was demonstrated by Bishop Daniel Jenky of Peoria, Illinois.
His excellency gave a tremendous homily on April 14, 2012, at a Mass at St. Mary's Cathedral during the annual "Call to Catholic Men of Faith" event. Over 500 men gathered and, on a rainy day, marched through downtown Peoria bearing witness to the ancient but ever new Catholic faith. During the event the Bishop presided at the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass where the men and many others joined him. I paid particular attention to the event because my wife is from Peoria and became a Catholic many years ago in that Diocese.
In his homily this good Bishop did what all good homilists should do, he reflected on the readings of the day for the Liturgy. The first reading, taken from the Acts of the Apostles (Acts 4: 13-21), recounted the hostility faced by Peter, the first Pope, and the beloved disciple, John, as they exercised their apostolic ministry in another culture which had grown hostile to the Church and her message of genuine liberation.
Peter and John left an example which has been followed for over two millennia whenever the Church faces open hostility from the State. It is in this account that we find these often quoted words: " So they called them back and ordered them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus. Peter and John, however, said to them in reply, "Whether it is right in the sight of God for us to obey you rather than God, you be the judges. It is impossible for us not to speak about what we have seen and heard."
The Gospel for the day was a post resurrection account from St Mark's gospel (Mk 16: 9-15). Jesus tells the believers to "Go into the whole world and proclaim the Gospel to every creature." The Apostles did just what the Lord said and they turned the world of their age upside down (Acts 17:6). So too have their successors. Bishop Jenky of Peoria did a good job of demonstrating the same kind of apostolic courage shown by Peter and John when he reminded all Catholics "We can no longer be Catholics by accident, but instead be Catholics by conviction."
The homily has been quoted in a piecemeal fashion by those who do not want Catholic Bishops to exhibit a backbone in the face of the growing hostility toward the Church in the West. Fortunately, their effort to intimidate is not dissuading our shepherds. The entire homily has been posted by the Diocese and can be read here. Our readers can also listen to this courageous Bishop on a podcast by visiting here We offer the homily in full context and complete below.
Homily of Bishop Daniel Jenky of Peoria, Illinois.
There is only one basic reason why Christianity exists and that is the fact that Jesus Christ truly rose from the grave. The disciples never expected the resurrection. The unanimous testimony of all four Gospels is that the terrible death of Jesus on the cross entirely dashed all their hopes about Jesus and about his message. He was dead, and that was the end of it. They looked for nothing more, and they expected nothing more.
So as much as they had loved him, in their eyes Jesus was a failed messiah. His dying seemed to entirely rob both his teaching and even his miracles of any lasting significance.And they were clearly terrified that his awful fate, at the hands of the Sanhedrin and the Romans, could easily become their awful fate. So they hid, trembling with terror, behind shuttered windows and locked doors.
When the Risen Christ suddenly appeared in their midst, their reaction was shocked incredulity. They simply could not believe their own eyes. Reality only very slowly began to penetrate their consciousness when Jesus offers proof of his resurrection. He shows them the wounds on his hands, his feet, and his side. Jesus even allowed them to touch him. He breaks bread with them and eats with them. And only then could they admit to themselves what had seemed absolutely impossible - the one who had truly died had truly risen! The Crucified now stood before them as their Risen, glorious, triumphant Lord.
His rising from the grave was every bit as real as his dying on the cross. The resurrection was the manifest proof of the invincible power of Almighty God. The inescapable fact of the resurrection confirmed every word Jesus had ever spoken and every work Jesus had ever done.The Gospel was the truth. Jesus was the Christ, the promised Messiah of Israel. Jesus was the Savior of the world. Jesus was the very Son of God.
There is no other explanation for Christianity. It should have died out and entirely disappeared when Christ died and was buried, except for the fact that Christ was truly risen, and that during the 40 days before his Ascension, he interacted with his Apostles and disciples, and on one occasion even with hundreds of his followers.
Today's appointed Gospel reading for this Saturday in the Octave of Easter is taken from the 16th Chapter of Mark. It concludes with a command from the lips of Jesus, given to his disciples, given to the whole Church, given to you and me assembled here today: "Go into the whole world and proclaim the Gospel to every creature."
We heard in today's Second Reading from the Acts of the Apostles that the same Sanhedrin that had condemned Jesus was amazed at the boldness of Peter and John. Perceiving them to be uneducated, ordinary men, they recognized them as companions of Jesus. They warned them never again to teach, or speak to anyone, in the name of Jesus.
But the elders and the scribes might as well have tried to turn back the tide, or hold back an avalanche. Peter and John had seen the Risen Christ with their own eyes. Peter and John were filled with the Holy Spirit. They asked whether it is right "in the sight of God for us to obey you rather than God. It is impossible for us not to speak about what we have seen and heard."
And Peter and John and all the Apostles, starting first in Jerusalem in Judea and Galilee and then to the very ends of the earth, announced the Resurrection and the Good News to everyone they encountered.According to the clear testimony of the Scriptures, these Apostles had once been rather ordinary men - like you and me. Their faith hadn't always been strong. They made mistakes. They committed sins. They were often afraid and confused.
But meeting the Risen Lord had changed everything about these first disciples, and knowing the Risen Lord should also change everything about us. You know, it has never been easy to be a Christian and it's not supposed to be easy! The world, the flesh, and the devil will always love their own, and will always hate us. As Jesus once predicted, they hated me, they will certainly hate you.
But our Faith, when it is fully lived, is a fighting faith and a fearless faith. Grounded in the power of the resurrection, there is nothing in this world, and nothing in hell, that can ultimately defeat God's one, true, holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church. For 2,000 years the enemies of Christ have certainly tried their best. But think about it. The Church survived and even flourished during centuries of terrible persecution, during the days of the Roman Empire.
The Church survived barbarian invasions. The Church survived wave after wave of Jihads. The Church survived the age of revolution. The Church survived Nazism and Communism. And in the power of the resurrection, the Church will survive the hatred of Hollywood, the malice of the media, and the mendacious wickedness of the abortion industry.
The Church will survive the entrenched corruption and sheer incompetence of our Illinois state government, and even the calculated disdain of the President of the United States, his appointed bureaucrats in HHS, and of the current majority of the federal Senate.
May God have mercy on the souls of those politicians who pretend to be Catholic in church, but in their public lives, rather like Judas Iscariot, betray Jesus Christ by how they vote and how they willingly cooperate with intrinsic evil.
As Christians we must love our enemies and pray for those who persecute us, but as Christians we must also stand up for what we believe and always be ready to fight for the Faith. The days in which we live now require heroic Catholicism, not casual Catholicism. We can no longer be Catholics by accident, but instead be Catholics by conviction.
In our own families, in our parishes, where we live and where we work - like that very first apostolic generation - we must be bold witnesses to the Lordship of Jesus Christ. We must be a fearless army of Catholic men, ready to give everything we have for the Lord, who gave everything for our salvation. Remember that in past history other governments have tried to force Christians to huddle and hide only within the confines of their churches like the first disciples locked up in the Upper Room.
In the late 19th century, Bismarck waged his "Kulturkampf," a Culture War, against the Roman Catholic Church, closing down every Catholic school and hospital, convent and monastery in Imperial Germany. Clemenceau, nicknamed "the priest eater," tried the same thing in France in the first decade of the 20th Century. Hitler and Stalin, at their better moments, would just barely tolerate some churches remaining open, but would not tolerate any competition with the state in education, social services, and health care.
In clear violation of our First Amendment rights, Barack Obama - with his radical, pro abortion and extreme secularist agenda, now seems intent on following a similar path. Now things have come to such a pass in America that this is a battle that we could lose, but before the awesome judgement seat of Almighty God this is not a war where any believing Catholic may remain neutral.
This fall, every practicing Catholic must vote, and must vote their Catholic consciences, or by the following fall our Catholic schools, our Catholic hospitals, our Catholic Newman Centers, all our public ministries -- only excepting our church buildings - could easily be shut down. Because no Catholic institution, under any circumstance, can ever cooperate with the instrinsic evil of killing innocent human life in the womb.
No Catholic ministry - and yes, Mr. President, for Catholics our schools and hospitals are ministries - can remain faithful to the Lordship of the Risen Christ and to his glorious Gospel of Life if they are forced to pay for abortions.
Now remember what was the life-changing experience that utterly transformed those fearful and quaking disciples into fearless, heroic apostles. They encountered the Risen Christ. They reverenced his sacred wounds. They ate and drank with him. Is that not what we do here together, this morning at this annual men's march Mass?
This is the Saturday of the Octave of Easter, a solemnity so great and central to our Catholic faith that Easter Day is celebrated for eight full days, and the Easter season is joyously observed as the Great 50 Days of Easter. Through the power of the Holy Spirit, Christ - risen from the grave - is in our midst. His Holy Word teaches us the truth. His Sacred Body and Blood becomes our food and drink.
The Risen Christ is our Eternal Lord; the Head of his Body, the Church; our High Priest; our Teacher; our Captain in the well-fought fight. We have nothing to fear, but we have a world to win for him. We have nothing to fear, for we have an eternal destiny in heaven. We have nothing to fear, though the earth may quake, kingdoms may rise and fall, demons may rage, but St. Michael the Archangel, and all the hosts of heaven, fight on our behalf.
No matter what happens in this passing moment, at the end of time and history, our God is God and Jesus is Lord, forever and ever. Christus vincit! Christus regnat! Christus imperat! Christ wins! Christ reigns! Christ commands!
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2 April 2014
A Federal Ukraine?
Two things were clear after US Secretary of State John Kerry's four hours of talks with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in Paris last Sunday. One was that the United States accepts that nothing can be done about Russia's annexation of Crimea. Kerry continues to describe Russia's action as "illegal and illegitimate", but Crimea was not even mentioned in the communique released to the public.
The other is that the transformation of Ukraine into a neutral, federal state is now firmly on the table. Kerry repeatedly voiced the mantra that there must be "no decisions about Ukraine without Ukraine," but he also agreed with Lavrov that the subjects that need to be discussed include rights for national minorities, language rights, the disarmament of irregular forces and a constitutional reform that would make Ukraine a federal state.
By "rights for national minorities" and "language rights" he meant a special political status for Ukraine's 17 percent ethnic Russian minority and maybe even for the much larger number of Ukrainians – probably 40-45 percent – who speak Russian on a daily basis. Moscow is asserting its right to intervene in Ukraine's internal affairs to "protect" these minorities, and Kerry is at least willing to talk about it.
By "disarmament of irregular forces" Lavrov had meant the armed right-wing groups that played a small part in the revolution and still make occasional appearances on Independence Square and elsewhere in Kiev. These groups are Moscow's pretext for claiming that there has been a "fascist coup" in Kiev, from which it says that it has a duty to protect Russians and Russian-speakers in Ukraine.
Kerry may also have had in mind the armed pro-Moscow militias that occasionally appear in eastern Ukrainian cities, but he didn't say so. Nor did he mention the fact that the Kiev government is already moving to disarm, break up and arrest the right-wing groups in western Ukrainian cities.
By talking about "federalising" Ukraine, Kerry was implicitly accepting that the Russian demand for a radical decentralisation of the country (which could give pro-Russian governments in some eastern Ukrainian provinces a veto on decisions in Kiev) is a legitimate topic for negotiation.
It's no wonder that a satisfied Sergei Lavrov called the talks "very very constructive", or that the Ukrainian foreign ministry spokesperson said Russia was demanding "Ukraine's full capitulation, its split and the destruction of Ukrainian statehood." And although Kerry promises "no decisions without Ukraine," Kiev might not be able to reject American pressure to accept these concessions in its current gravely weakened state.
If all this makes John Kerry sound like a latter-day Neville Chamberlain appeasing Moscow, well, maybe he is. But that's not clear yet.
Maybe the United States is getting ready to sell Ukraine down the river, or maybe Kerry is just giving sweet reason a try before the gloves come off. Likewise, maybe the Russians are really planning to turn Ukraine into a satellite – or maybe they just want to make it formally neutral. And how awful would that be?
There is nothing wrong with trying to stop this thing from turning into a new Cold War. Since NATO has no intention of offering Ukraine membership, formal neutrality could be a sensible way out of the current crisis so long as it does not preclude closer trade and travel ties with the European Union. But the Russians are also pushing hard for a "federalised" Ukraine.
"Given the proportion of native Russians in Ukraine," said Lavrov, "we propose this and we are sure there is no other way." That could be a deal-killer, especially since Moscow is starting to insist that the constitutional changes and a referendum on them be completed BEFORE the national election in Ukraine that is currently scheduled for 25 May.
These changes would be decided not by the Ukrainian government, but by a "nationwide dialogue" in which all regions would have an equal voice – including the eastern regions where there are many Russians, and 40,000 Russian troops poised just across the border. And, said Lavrov, the regions should have more power over, among other things, foreign trade, cultural ties abroad, and relations with neighbouring states, including Russia.
It is a programme, in other words, for the effective dismantling of the Ukrainian state, and it's hard to see how even John Kerry and President Barack Obama can support that. Meanwhile, the level of panic is rising in the eastern European members of NATO, and especially in Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia, which also have Russian minorities and border directly on the Russian Federation.
Vladimir Putin, fresh from his Crimean victory, is seriously overplaying his hand. Poland and the three Baltic states are now pushing for permanent NATO military bases on their territory, something the alliance has avoided since they joined in order not to antagonise Moscow. A confidential NATO paper leaked to Der Spiegel even talks about boosting military cooperation with Moldova, Armenia and Azerbaijan, all former Soviet republics.
And Moscow is now accusing Ukrainians of plotting terrorist attacks on Russian territory. The odds on a new Cold War have gone up quite a lot in the past week.
To shorten to 725 words, omit paragraphs 4 and 5. ("By disarmament…cities")


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Dinosaur Discovery Helps Solve Piece of Evolutionary Puzzle
News story originally written on January 28, 2010
Scientists have discovered a new species of dinosaur called Haplocheirus sollers (which means simple, skillful hand). These dinosaurs lived during the Late Jurassic time period and are part of the family Alvarezsauridae. Scientists used to think that dinosaurs in this family were relatives of birds, but the fossils of the newly discovered dinosaurs show that they are not related to birds.
Dinosaurs in the Alvarezsauridae family are a bizarre group of bird-like dinosaurs with a large claw on the hand and very short, powerful arms.


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right i need to create an application which show the data of 60 server (the data retreived from mysql table)
no problem getting the data or showing the data in a table.
but i need the data to be show in text fields.
without creating 60 text fields each for 8 columns, is there an easier way to do this.
im using netbeans.


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This article is more than 1 year old
UFO wind turbine prang site sealed
Black helicopters circle Lincolnshire
Security operatives backed by snarling dogs have sealed off the Conisholme wind farm in Lincolnshire, to prevent alien hunters making off with the remains of the UFO which earlier this month seriously damaged one of the turbines, the Sun reports.
Ufologists are pretty well convinced there is an extraterrestrial explanation for the incident which saw one turbine blade ripped off and another seriously damaged by a vessel "about 170ft long" following numerous reports of mystery "low-flying aircraft", lights in the sky and, finally, a "big bang".
Alien hunter Nick Pope had a light attack of the Area 51s, telling the Sun: "There may be something they don't want people to see."
Dale Vince of Ecotricity, which operates the site, said last week: "We don't have an explanation at the moment as to what the cause was. We have been crawling all over it and have sent bits off for analysis to see if we can work out what caused it. Until we have some idea, some plausible explanation that it was not a UFO, I don't think we should rule it out."
Well, German experts have indeed now moved in to attempt to pinpoint the cause of the carnage. Should they prove that ET isn't actually to blame, the black helicopter mob have a fall-back position - an ultrasecret robot stealth aircraft project hinted at by MoD, according to the Sun.
Pope concluded: "If a stealth aircraft struck the turbine, it may be made of some material which is itself classified above top secret."
El Reg rang the MoD for clarification as to what material it has which could be classified as more secret than top secret, but a spokesman said: "That's so secret it's beyond above top secret, I'm afraid." ®


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Manitowoc unveiled the Potain Igo T 130 at Bauma 2010 and says it's the largest self-erecting crane in the world. The crane has an 8-ton maximum capacity. Vincent Milan, senior product manager for self-erecting cranes at Manitowoc, said the new crane has a familiar feel to users of Igo T cranes, but also includes some important new design features."Our customers like the advanced technology and flexibility of the Igo T range, and we've included some additional features on the new model," he said in a press release. "We've introduced design changes that make it easier for customers to rig the crane and also easier to transport. There are a lot of projects that last too long to justify leaving a mobile crane on site, yet are too short to erect a top-slewing tower crane. For these sites, the Igo T 130 is perfect."The Igo T 130 shares main characteristics with the existing Potain GTMR 386, one of Manitowoc's most successful cranes. The Igo T 130 also offers a number of improvements including an impressive 50 m jib that can cover large areas of the job site.
With the Igo T 130, the 50 m jib can assemble as one section and also fold back to a single section for transport. In its transport configuration, it travels as a single trailer with an overall length of 17.15 m. This convoy has a ground clearance of 32 cm for better access to working job sites. The crane can save time before arriving at the job site because the end jib section can be added or removed before traveling, even when the crane is in the folded position. If working with the final folding section attached, the Igo T 130 can still fold back in one simple operation. The Igo T 130 uses only 25 percent of the power required by the GTMR 386 for rigging – a real advantage on job sites where power supply is an issue. The Igo T 130 lifts its 8-ton maximum to a radius of 18.6 meters. The crane has different load charts, depending on working height and how far the jib is folded. At its maximum 50-meter outreach, the crane can lift up to 1.4 tons With the jib end section folded back, the crane has a maximum radius of 34 meters (if the end jib section is removed altogether the maximum radius drops slightly to 33.5 meters, but the chart improves). Working heights are adjusted by inserting 6-meter lattice sections. With the 50-meter jib extended, the crane can work at a height of 37.3 meters. By luffing the jib to 30 degrees, the working height extends to 61 m. Like other Igo T cranes (Igo T 70 and Igo T 85), the new crane can vary its working height and jib lengths to adapt to job sites as they change. For each position of the jib (full horizontal, luffed to 30 degrees, folded horizontal) there are seven working heights. Minimum height is 18.2 meters. Milan said the crane will be perfect for medium-sized jobs. "Our customer feedback told us we needed a crane that is simple to use and can cover a range of job sites," he said. "The Igo T 130 is a powerful crane and travels on just three trailers, so it costs less to run than cranes with more trailers. It is perfect for all kinds of commercial and public construction projects." In addition to its own unique characteristics, the Igo T 130 shares a number of features with other Igo T cranes. These include a fast set-up time, as the crane can unfold and be ready to work on the job site in less than 4 hours. Also, using 6 m mast inserts, instead of the more common 3-meter sections, less time and effort is required for rigging. Once the job finishes, Igo T cranes are easier to fold and require only a limited amount of space to do so — a real benefit as there is often limited free space on job sites once construction ends. A series of sensors and Potain's SmartCom make the crane easier to fold out to its working position. Once working, the integrated remote control and adjustable controls make lifting as simple as possible and improve productivity. Frequency controlled mechanisms ensure smooth movements, including hoisting where Potain's 33 LVF 20 Optima winch is included giving lift speeds of up to 65 m/min for fast working or 1.6 m/min for close control when positioning loads. The Igo T 130 can include the new Ultra View operator's cab which was also introduced at bauma 2010. Potain Igo T 130:


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Stealth operation
One of the problems with operating in the evening is that on most HF bands even a few watts of RF is enough to turn on the neighbours' security lights. So there is an extra incentive to work QRP. This evening I tried JT65A at 2W on 30m, then moved to 20m with 5W. This map shows where my QRP signals were received.
The antenna on 20m was the multiband attic dipole. Stations worked included K3AXR (FM28), KF4NX (EM83), AB0DI (EN41), VA3WLD (FN03) and KD2A (FN13). By the way, whoever said JT65A is not a chat mode!


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Beckel pulls race card on .. Allen West??
For those who're unaware of the big dust up stirred by Fl Rep Allen West, here're the remarks he made at a Lincoln Day Dinner in West Palm Beach Fl:
We need to let President Obama, Harry Reid, Nancy Pelosi, and my dear friend the chairman of the Democrat National Committee, we need to let them know that Florida ain't on the table. Take your message of equality of achievement, take your message of economic dependency, take your message of enslaving the entrepreneurial will and spirit of the American people somewhere else. You can take it to Europe, you can take it to the bottom of the sea, you can take it to the North Pole, but get the hell out of the United States of America.
These remarks led Bob Beckel, co-host of FOX News Channel's "The Five" to blow a gasket on Monday:
I'll tell you this, Mr. West; When you start shooting your mouth off like that – and I admire the fact that you were in the military and you served your country. I understand that. But before you start saying that, at the end of it, you said 'Get the hell out of the United States,' then you didn't say the policies. Now, there's 20 percent of us or 22 percent of us that happen to be Progressives, who believe in what Harry Reid and Nancy Pelosi say. You go on to say 100 percent of America. We're 20 percent of America and we're not going anywhere whether you like it or not. And you better be careful, my friend, because you're getting on the edge there and you're taking that Tea Party crowd with you.
Greg Gutfeld, Beckel's co-host, argued that Beckel's outrage was misguided, saying:
During the break, I made a list of outspoken black liberals. Al Sharpton, Louis Farrakhan, Black Panthers, Jesse Jackson, Angela Davis, Cornel West, Public Enemy, Eric Dyson! In our culture, we celebrate outspoken black leftists. So, now you have one, provocative, American, black conservative, and you liberals whine? I wanna' see more Allen West. He's not the first one, but he's the beginning. And it's refreshing–
To which Beckel responded: "You wanna' see more of that hatred? You wanna' see that kind of hatred in America?" Gutfeld countered: "That's not hatred." Beckel reiterated "It is hatred. It's the worst most disgraceful, despicable, disgusting—"
Mr. Beckel, with all due respect, you are wrong. What Allen West said was not hate. Your being a "progressive", that's how you're programmed to respond to anyone who disagrees with you…emotionally
Consider these "progressive" accusations targeting me after the Gabby Giffords shooting:
"I guess you must be happy with yesterday's shooting in Arizona. Sheriff Dupnik certainly was right on with the vitriolic hate espoused by radio and television personalities. Is this your answer to everyone who disagrees with you?"
"I just thought you're happy that there is another dead Democrat. Isn't that what you and your party want? All of us who disagree should be killed? I thought you liked that. Am I wrong? You care what happened to those people who were hit or killed? You have a heart? Wow! Had us fooled."
Or that another "progressive", with finger wagging, told me point blank to my face over dinner that if it was left up to them, I "would be silenced".
That's hatred Mr. Beckel. What Rep West said was not an emotional expression of hatred. It was a clear reference to the battle of ideas being waged in this country. Rep West is 100% correct.
The American idea, the shot heard round the world, is that We The People can govern ourselves. We are endowed by our Creator with certain inalienable Rights. By virtue of our humanity we are entitled to the maximum amount of Individual Liberties consistent with law and order, and to the Right of private ownership, including the Right to own and decide for ourselves. These Liberties and Rights are to be equally protected by a Constitutionally limited, representative government that derives its just powers from the consent of the governed. This is a distinctly exceptional American idea.
The "progressive" idea is that an all-powerful centrally planned government, with extreme hostility towards private ownership, forces redistribution of wealth through "progressive" taxation in the name of social or economic "justice". In order to ensure "fairness", an oligarchy of self-imagined, self appointed "intellectual elite" must be responsible for controlling businesses, industries and "the masses" who are incapable of governing themselves. This was the position of a radical, fringe political minority who called themselves "progressives" until early twentieth century Americans saw for themselves exactly how bad "progressive" ideas really were, forcing "progressives" to change their label to "liberal". This idea came to America from Britain's Fabian Socialists and Germany's Frankfurt School. This is a European idea, not an American one.
Among red-blooded patriotic Americans whose brains haven't been polluted by "progressive" ideas, there's little debate that as designed by our Founders, the United States of America is the most inventive, productive, prosperous and charitable nation in the history of the planet. There has yet to be put forth a rational, logical argument to support abandoning the highly successful American idea in favor of a European idea that's currently failing in Europe itself.
If you and your 20-22% want to live in a European style system, move to Europe. When you get there, send Europeans who want to live in America under our system to America. America will greatly benefit from that exchange.


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I am quite new to dwarf fortress and trying to create an underground farm. I know that I need to muddy the ground so I havd created thd chanel above the farm and placed a pond activity zone over it. Shortly after I get a notice that filling the pond has been cancelled because there is no water source.
So I find the closest water source, a murky pond that seems to be 1 layer lower than the land around it. I dig a small channel section at the edge to access the water and set a water source activity zone. I then recreate the pond but get the same message that there is no water source.
What am I doing wrong here? Would someone mind walking me through creating a water source? Thanks


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Mike Huckabee granted clemency to suspect in cop-killing ambush
If Republican Mike Huckabee makes a run for the presidency again in 2012, this week will have made his potential road to the White House a bit rockier.
During his time as governor of Arkansas, Mr. Huckabee granted clemency to Maurice Clemmons. Police are now seeking Mr. Clemmons for questioning in the shooting death of four police officers in Washington State.
Clemmons's criminal history includes at least five felony convictions in Arkansas and another eight felony charges in Washington, according to the Seattle Times. He was released from police custody last week after posting bail for a pending charge of second-degree rape of a child.
This the second time Huckabee has been criticized for his role in releasing a criminal who later went on to offend again, and it echoes 1988, when the crimes of a furloughed convict undermined the presidential aspirations of Michael Dukakis.
"The murder of a police officer is the worst of all murders in that it is an assault on every citizen and the laws we live within," Huckabee said in a statement on his PAC website late Sunday.
But he also pointed out that many departments share responsibility for Clemmons's release.
"Should he be found to be responsible for this horrible tragedy, it will be the result of a series of failures in the criminal justice system in both Arkansas and Washington State," the statement read.
Huckabee has also been criticized in regards to the release of convicted rapist Wayne Dumond.
Though he did not directly pardon Mr. Dumond, who was convicted of raping a 17-year-old relative of Bill Clinton, Huckabee is alleged to have played a role in influencing the prison board that decided to release Dumond in 1997. He denies the charge, which became a point of controversy during his first bid for the White House in 2008.
Dumond was later convicted of another murder, and sentenced to life in prison. He was also suspected of raping and murdering a pregnant woman just one day before his 2001 arrest, though he died in prison before he could be charged.
Democratic presidential candidate Michael Dukakis suffered from a similar connection during the 1988 presidential campaign. Willie Horton committed a rape and armed robbery while out of prison on a weekend furlough program Mr. Dukakis created. Presidential rival George H. W. Bush used the incidents to call Dukakis soft on crime.
Though early polling shows Huckabee is a favorite for the Republican nomination, he said Sunday that he has become "less likely" to run in 2012 because he enjoys his current post as a host on Fox News. News of his role in the Clemmons pardon could make a run for the presidency even more unappealing.
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October 1st, 2021
The Town's GIS team has created a web application with details of the project that will show the most up-to-date information. The web application will be embedded on this page. We will also keep this page as updated as possible.
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In 2013, the functioning of the Institute (NIMT) has taken over by the Neptune Educational & Welfare Trust, dully registered by the Sub Registrar No. 1 of Govt. of NCT of Delhi under Trust Registration Act – 1908, Section 60 and Registration No. is 767/2013, B. No. 4, Vol. No. 3081.
In 2003, the functioning of the Institute has taken over by the Shanti Devi Shiksha Samiti, duly registered by the Govt. of NCT of Delhi under Societies Registration Act XXI of 1860 and Registration No. is 47035/03, issued by Registrar of Societies, Govt. of NCT of Delhi.
Neptune Institute of Management & Technology was established and collaborated with Indian Engineering Coaching & Institute (Bhartiya Abhiyantriki Shiksha & Sansthan) in 1995, which is registered under Rule 8 of the Delhi PR Act, 1972, Govt. of NCT of Delhi and acknowledges the receipt of the statement prescribed by Section 58 (1) and maintained under Section 59 (4) (1) of the IP Act, 1932, Govt. of India and Registration No. 2277/95 on dated 10.11.1995 provided by Registrar of Firms, Govt. of NCT of Delhi.
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Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, especially when it comes to fashion. What might look ultra-cool to one person might look like crap to the other and vice versa. But with the exception of a handful. There are just some designs that are so ridiculous, that they're almost good. Almost.
Kind of like designer Si Chan's 'Hug Me' jacket, which features a row of clasped hands down the front that will 'hug' you every time you put it on. Chan explains that he designed the jacket to make the wearer feel 'warm and hugged', saying: "Everybody needs love, don't they?" He also says that the hugging hands symbolize what humans use to "express love" and "depart from loneliness."
It'll keep you warm, all right, but I doubt it'll be able to make you feel loved at all. Chan has big plans for it too, as he plans to manufacture the jackets and then sell them for $1,200 each. (Now who would pay a thousand bucks for this? I wouldn't even be willing to buy it for a hundred!)
Hit the jump for more images of the Hug Me jacket, including one where it's being worn by the Hollow Man.
VIA [ Geekologie ]


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[Seth King] sent in his latest hack where he used an Arduino to regulate various aspects of a greenhouse. He has sensors for soil and air temperature as well as light and moisture. He built a custom circuit that uses relays to power fans, lights, and heaters. Using timers and the sensor data, the devices can be triggered to create the perfect environment for sprouts. He hopes to make the whole thing wireless by integrating XBees, but for now he ran a USB cord to his computer.
Related: Automatic grow light


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